


Watch After My Heart (And I'll Do The Same)

by Pearl_Unplanned



Series: Cap_Ironman Bingo 2015 [9]
Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: AU, Cap_Ironman Bingo, Community: cap_ironman, M/M, Stony Bingo, kingdom au, soulbonds with animals, which sounds weird but I promise it's not
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-27
Updated: 2015-10-27
Packaged: 2018-04-28 12:29:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,113
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5090792
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pearl_Unplanned/pseuds/Pearl_Unplanned
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tony is the Prince of Stark Kingdom. Steve is one of his subjects, a childhood friend. When King Howard is told of a prophecy, he tears the two friends apart in order to protect his son in the only way he sees possible, which may just cause the downfall of the kingdom.<br/>Oh, and everyone has animal soulbonds.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Watch After My Heart (And I'll Do The Same)

**Author's Note:**

> For the prompt: Destiny/Prophecy

 

            A young, dark haired boy sat down beside his blond friend. Both were ten years old, and both had just received their soul-bond animals.

            The animals would be their partners, like brothers, as close as their own soul. But soul-bonded animals lived longer than normal animals, and if taken care of could live a human lifespan. If a human died, his soul-bonded brother would die too, but if the animal died, a human wouldn't. If their partner was killed, it would feel like they'd lost their twin. There would a hole in the person's soul. It would feel like _they_ shouldn't be alive, either.

            "Did you get your partner?" The young, dark haired boy asked, holding up a tiny, couple-inch long, grayish colored snake as the tiny creature slithered and curled around his fingers.

            The small blond child held up a box designed to incubate eggs. "He's not born yet... you weren't just given an egg?"

            "My snake was born almost right after its egg was laid, so... no," the other boy said, petting the snake's head with his free hand. "He's a northern copperhead."

            "I... don't know what mine is," the blond boy said, eyes wandering back to the small box. The egg was a slightly off-white color, with a couple of dark speckles. "Is he friendly?"

            "I think so... he's an extension of me, right? And I wouldn't want to hurt you," the boy said. He held the snake closer to the blond boy, and the tiny snake didn't strike him at all, instead it just stayed still as the other child patted its head. Unusual, bright green eyes watched the world with curiosity.

            "So what's his name?"

            "Ricorda. My mama's Italian, so... 'remember'," he said, shrugging. "Rico for short. I... I can feel the bond, Steve, I _can_. And I don't understand it."

            "I feel it too," the blond boy, Steve, murmured as he stroked the box that the egg was in. "Not very strong yet—the egg hasn't hatched yet. But when it does, I know that we'll have a bond. Like you and Rico."

            He smiled, and Tony wrapped an arm around his shoulders. "I know you will. I think you've got a bird. It looks like a bird to me. My mama's got a bird. Birds are cool—they can _fly_ , Steve! I wish I could do that!"

            "I'm sure you'll be able to experience that someday... How 'bout this? If we both have strong bonds with our partners, and I _do_ have a bird, I'll get my bird to fly your snake around some. I've heard that people can feel what their soul-bonds can feel, so... It won't quite be the same, but you'll kind of be able to fly," Steve suggested, and Tony grinned.

            "I _knew_ you'd be a great friend," Tony laughed, patting his back. "Everyone always told me 'no, he's just some commoner' and I told them 'Steve's cool, I want to be his friend' and here we are." He grinned again, lightly punching Steve's shoulder. "Forever, right?"

            "Yep," Steve said happily. "Forever."

 

            "What do you _mean_ he's destined to wed a _man?_ "

            Tony stopped in his tracks. He'd been trying to sneak back upstairs so that his parents didn't know he'd stayed out late playing with Steve, but apparently there were more interesting things for them to be doing. He peeked around the corner to see his mama and father talking with the kingdom's Elder, a man known to the children of the kingdom as 'Fury'. No one knew when he was born, or who his family was, but he interpreted the signs that the Spirits sent to them to foretell futures.

            That was the man who had given him Ricorda. The tiny snake was asleep in his pocket at the moment.

            His mama, black hair pulled back tightly, stood beside the chair that his father was sitting on. The gold, black and white feathers of her red-kegged partridge were ruffled, and Bellissimo wasn't looking in his direction, so there was still a chance that his mama didn't know he was there. Belle's red eyes were focused on Elder Fury and the wolf gray wolf on the ground beside him.

            His father, on the other hand, looked stressed, and Edward, his red fox, paced nervously at his feet, completely stressed out.

            "I was told his future. He will wed a man, and that man will be the one who vanquishes the darkness from the castle. Young Anthony is in danger. There are people who wish to take his throne, but this man will protect him and help him bring the kingdom into an age of peace," Elder Fury said. "The Spirits have shown me this man, vaguely. He is soul-tied to a large, dark bird. Just... beware of those who wish to get close to young Anthony, for his life will be in danger if the wrong people are trusted."

            "A large, dark bird?" his father murmured, rubbing his forehead. "We will do anything to protect Anthony. From now on, he'll be guarded and cared for at all times. The future King will not have to fear for his life at such a young age."

            The old gray wolf opened its one and only eye, staring directly at Tony, before it rested its head back on the ground. That was all the warning Tony needed to run off to bed.

 

            The tiny egg was already connected to him, Steve could tell. When he closed his eyes, he could feel the heartbeat in the egg as if it were his own. His soul-bond. It wasn't a reptile. The more time he spent connected with his mind in the egg, the more he knew that it wasn't a reptile. It was definitely a bird, though he couldn't figure out what kind of bird. All Steve knew was that it was like he was holding his soul in his hands, and the thought of doing that both terrified and excited the child.

            Steve broke from his concentration when a white rabbit with gray boots and ears hopped up onto the bed beside him. A smile crossed the boy's face, and he reached out to the soul-bonded animal, stroking her fur. Ismain, the soft snowshoe hare, was his Ma's soul-bond.

            A loud banging on the door caught Steve's attention. He held the egg in the box closer to himself, and the snowshoe hare hopped up onto his lap and barred her teeth at the door. Their house was tiny, so there weren't any walls separating the rooms. It was all just one big room, with one bed in the corner that Steve shared with his Ma.

            "Who's there?" Ma called, motioning for Steve to hide if necessary.

            "The King," was the reply, and Ma opened the door.

            "What is it you require, my King, my Queen?" Ma asked, inviting the two royals into their tiny abode. Steve quickly looked at the ground and held the egg and rabbit closer.

            "I spoke with Elder Nicholas today," the King said, sounding grave. This was Tony's father, though Tony never spoke very highly of him. The red fox was staring suspiciously at the snowshoe hare on Steve's lap, like a _predator_. The bird on the Queen's shoulder, though, seemed calm and worried.

            "What did he say?" Ma asked, worried.

            "He told me that my son, the Prince, is in danger. He said that the ones close to my son will be his downfall, therefore you and your son have to leave the kingdom," the King said, and the Queen looked sympathetically over at Steve and Ma. "You must be gone tonight. If not, the guards will be here in the morning, and they will be told to kill you if you stay."

            "What? But we have nowhere to go!"

            "I will pay for a modest house, twice the size of this one, for the next three years. I have a guard waiting outside with a horse-drawn carriage to take you to whichever kingdom you want to go to." The King looked angry, and when Steve glanced over at him, he noticed that the man was glaring at _him_.

            "I'd never hurt Tony," he whispered.

            "Was I talking to you, boy?!" the King snapped, and Steve flinched. If he just concentrated on the egg, he could feel the protective layers of the shell surrounding him, keeping him safe. It calmed him, it chased away the terrors of the world, and Steve was able to breathe again.

            "Come on, baby, I think we need to go," Ma said, worried and fearful as she started packing up the few items that they owned.

            The Queen cast a sorrowful, regretful look at the two of them before the royals left and a few guards came in to help clear out the house. Steve, being the small, sickly, weak child that he was, could only stand there, holding his egg in the heat box while watching the only life he knew get taken away from him.

            And he wouldn't even get to say goodbye.

 

            Two hours later, his mama opened the door to his room. Tony had made sure that he was in bed and pretended that he hadn't heard anything from their conversation. Elder Fury _knew_ he was there, and he just hoped that the old man wouldn't rat him out.

            "Bambino, are you still awake?" His mama's voice was soft, and she sounded sad and scared. Was she worried that someone would try to hurt him? Hopefully not—when Ricorda got a little older, he'd have all the protection he'd need. Northern copperheads were poisonous snakes, he knew that. So he'd be safe.

            "Yes Mama," Tony whispered.

            "My baby," she said quietly, sitting down on the bed beside him. "Dear, Elder Nicholas visited us today, and what he told us... We're worried about you, mi bambino. We just want you to be safe. So your father and I have decided to get you a tutor, and you'll be staying in the castle from now on. Okay?"

            "But... I like our home here! We're closer to Steve's house," Tony argued. Steve was his best friend, he didn't want to leave! _Especially_ to go back to that stuffy old castle. It wasn't fun there, and his friends weren't allowed inside.

            "That's another thing, sweetheart," his mama whispered, stroking his head gently. Belle was nuzzling against Ricorda, who trusted the bird like it was his mother. "Something... happened. The Rogers family... had to leave for a while, and you're not going to be seeing Steve anymore."

            "Until when? When's he coming back?" Steve didn't mention anything about leaving. He didn't even get to say goodbye!

            "He's not coming back, baby. They... moved in with some family in a neighboring kingdom, and they left tonight," his mama said.

            "But... no!" Tony argued, gently stroking Rico when the little snake slithered over to him. "Steve never said goodbye—he wouldn't just _leave!_ We were going to watch his egg hatch together... I wanted to know what his soul-bond was! He's my best friend, mama, he wouldn't just _leave_. Steve's not like that."

            "Well, that's what happened, darling. I'm sorry, I know you two were close. But you need to be safe now—you're going to be King one day, and you're not safe living in the village," his mama said, running her fingers through his hair.

            "But..." Steve wouldn't just leave. Not without saying goodbye. Maybe... if he did... maybe they _weren't_ really friends. The false promises hurt, and it was then that Tony decided he didn't want any more friends. Not if they were going to betray him and _leave_ without even a 'goodbye'.

            "We hired you a tutor, a good friend of your father's," his mama continued, surely noticing the way that he quieted down. "His name is Jarvis. His soul-bonded is a great horned owl named Margret. You'll love Jarvis, I just know you will."

            Tony nodded numbly before he curled up facing the wall with Rico snuggled up under his chin. His mama sighed before she stood up, kissed his head, and then left the room, closing the door behind herself. Tony didn't bother to wipe away the tears that rolled down his cheeks.

 

            "Are you sure that you're ready for this?" Pepper, his cousin, asked as she helped Tony into his robes. Other than Jarvis, Pepper was really his only friend now. His mama and father had both passed away a few years previous, leaving only his elderly tutor and later on his cousin to keep him company. Well, and the man he was supposed to marry, but that was another topic altogether.

            "As ready as I'll ever be," Tony replied, letting Rico slither up his arm and settle wrapped up around his neck and on his shoulders. The northern copperhead had become a beautiful shade of red-brown with golden-brown stripes and the most brilliant copper head he'd ever seen. Rico's unusual, brilliant green eyes remained the same vibrant shade as ever, with little slitted pupils.

            "It's only the 'you're becoming King' ceremony," Pepper said, as if it wasn't the most important ceremony of his life thus far. "It's not like you're getting married."

            "Yet," Tony muttered.

            Obadiah Stane and his large raven Killian had shown up about three years before his father had died. Tony had known the man now for about eight years, and in the three years that Howard had known him, they seemed to be getting along great. It was six years ago, when he was only twelve years old, when he was told that Stane would wed him one day. Now, the man was seven years older than him, and Tony didn't even _like_ Stane at the time. He refused to talk with him, still bitter about being locked in the castle. He only spoke with Jarvis, and sometimes with his mama, but never with his father. Not after his father told him that _he_ was the one that got rid of Steve.

            After knowing the man for so long, Tony _had_ become friends with him, and he had begun to trust him. He remembered what Elder Fury had said about the man with a big, dark bird, and Killian the raven _definitely_ fit that description.

            When Pepper moved in with him, she had never learned to trust Obie, as Tony was now calling him. No, she spent all of her time either with Tony or with one of the new guards of the palace, a young man about two years older than Tony, named James Rhodes. _Lieutenant_ James Rhodes.

            James Rhodes, dubbed 'Rhodey' by Tony, had a large German shepherd dog that just _matched_ Pepper's Border collie so much. Tony could see the attraction between the two, and he knew that they kept it a secret because Pepper was of royal blood and it wouldn't be allowed right now, but once he was King he was going to change that and let them wed if they so chose to. Rhodey was like a brother to him, so it was nice to know that he could legally join the family soon. So technically he was one of Tony's 'only friends' also.

            First, though, he had to become King. Which meant he had to do the ceremony this evening.

            "It'll be fine, Tony. Once you're King, you'll get to decide who you want to marry. You don't have to marry Stane because your father wanted you to," Pepper pointed out.

            "I know... but Elder Fury—"

            "Elder Nicholas," Pepper laughed.

            "—said that I was _destined_ to marry a man with a large, dark bird," Tony said, mocking Elder Fury's voice, "and he'd help me bring peace to the kingdom." He rolled his eyes. "So, uh, I think I have to. And anyway, Obie's not that bad. I mean, he's a bit controlling, but... I understand why. My parents seemed to believe that I was in some sort of danger, so... Obie keeps me safe, right?"

            Pepper sighed. She closed her eyes, and Tony knew that she was reaching out to Lady, her border collie, who was probably patrolling the castle with Rhodey and Prince.

            "I know that you love him," Tony said suddenly. He'd never brought it up to Pepper before.

            She glanced over at him, a bit of worry lining her face. "What?"

            "Don't you love Rhodey? I'm your cousin. You're like my _sister_ , Pep, you don't need to hide things from me." Rico nuzzled against his cheek, and Tony smiled at his soul-bond.

            "I do," Pepper said quietly, looking down.

            "Hey, don't be like that! Love's a good thing, Pep—I was thinking that, when I'm King, if Rhodey asks you soon... maybe you guys could be the first newly-wed couple?" Tony asked eagerly, shrugging and grinning.

            Pepper's face lit up, and she looked so _surprised_ that it almost hurt. "Really? Oh thank you Tony!" She wrapped her arms around him, hugging him close. Rico slithered over onto Pepper's shoulders during the hug.

            "You guys are in love, of course you should have the first wedding! I sure don't want to get married yet," Tony said. "I want to learn how to be King first before I have to share it with someone. Obie wants to get married as soon as possible, but I'm not ready for that yet, and _I'll_ be King, so he can't force me to get married."

            "I still don't like him," Pepper muttered, petting Rico's scales. Rico nodded, agreeing with her. Rico _never_ seemed to like Killian at all. The large bird seemed to spook him.

            "Well I _do_ ," Tony said. If he said it enough, he'd believe it. They'd have what Pepper and Rhodey had... one day. "It's my _destiny_ , Pep. Elder Fury said so. He's the one who gives all the kingdom's prophecies, after all."

            "Well, he got this one wrong," Pepper muttered. Tony managed to get his snake back before Pepper headed over to the door. "I'm going to go find Rhodey. You... should go enjoy your last few hours before you've got the responsibility of the whole kingdom on your shoulders."

            "I should," Tony decided. All he had to do was shed his robes and dress in clothes that one might see around the kingdom that didn't scream out 'I'm the Prince!' to anyone who might want to cause him harm.

 

            So he did. He headed straight out into the kingdom, with normal street clothes on, without telling Obie where he was going to be. Which was a mistake.

            Five hours later, he was tied up, with Ricorda stuck in a bag, being taken away.

            "He has the Prince!" a man shouted, and the guards were saving him, pulling him out of the hands of his captors, leaving Ricorda to be taken away by those terrible, terrible people. He could feel his soul-bond's terror, and Tony screamed out for his bond-brother, his soul-partner, but it was too late.

            Rico was gone. His only consolation was that he could feel that Rico was still alive and out there.

 

            The crowning was postponed, and therefore the wedding of Tony Stark and Obadiah Stane was postponed, too.

            Obie was _not_ happy about that.

 

            "What is it, Buck?"

            The large, bald eagle flew back over and landed on his shoulder, letting out a loud screech. Buchanan, Bucky for short, took off again, and Steve connected his mind to his soul-bond's to try to figure out what was going on. He could see the bad people, feel his eagle's sixth sense of knowing that something was wrong with them, and when he reopened his eyes, he could see out of Bucky's eyes. The eagle directed him to the bag that one of the men riding the horses was holding.

            Whatever was in that bag was _alive_ and _in danger_ , according to his soul-bond.

            Steve snuck closer, watching as the men on horseback as they slowed down to a stop, probably thinking that they were alone.

            One of the men had a fat old crow on his shoulder, but Steve could tell that none of the men were soul-bonded to the horses. But... of the four men, there was only one soul-bond there. The other men... had lost their soul-bonds. Despite the fact that these men were clearly bad and had done something very wrong, Steve's heart ached for them. He had no idea of the pain of losing a soul-bond. He and Bucky had come close to losing each other, but they _hadn't_ , so he'd never been truly alone like these three men.

            And, of course, whoever's soul-bond was currently wrapped up in that sack.

            "Stane's gonna be so mad," one of the men said.

            "I say we just kill it now," another man said, pulling a gun from the holster attached to his belt. "Make him know how it feels to be alone. Maybe then Stark will be broken enough."

            Stark? They'd just raided _Stark_ Kingdom? That was where Steve had spent ten years of his life. Sure, he'd been gone for a little over eight years now, but... As much as he was angry at the King and Queen for what they did, he still missed his childhood friend. All those promises he made, the ones he never meant to break... all broken. It was the King's fault.

            Six years after they left—things had been amazing for five of them—Ma passed away. The last year before she died, she'd been getting sicker and sicker, and she'd talked with Steve non-stop about his father, about how she knew that he'd find love someday, about how much _she_ loved him, and about how proud she was of him.

            When Ma passed, Ismain passed with her. When the 'main soul' died, the soul-bond died, too. The last two years had been tough for Steve, but Bucky had helped him through, and they'd survived and thrived.

            "Just... drop it on the ground. I don't want to get bitten," a third man said, looking warily around. "What if they came after us?"

            "Who cares? It'll be long-dead by then," the first man grumbled. The second man shrugged and agreed, dropping the bag, now open, onto the ground.

            It was when the man raised the gun to the creature that came out of the bag when Steve acted. He charged at the man, tackling him off the horse as Bucky swooped down at the bag, grabbing the squirming snake by the head in one claw, to prevent it from biting him, and the middle with the other claw, to support the snake's weight.

            The gun went off, firing into thin air as Steve knocked the man to the ground. Suddenly all the other men leaped into motion—the crow chased after Bucky, one of the horses ran off in one direction, with a man still hanging off the saddle, while another horse, now down one rider, ran off another way.

            One of the remaining men stayed on the horse as the fourth man jumped on Steve. After knocking the first one out, Steve turned his attention to the man who was hanging onto his back.

            With the strength he'd gained from years of working as an apprentice to both a farmer and a blacksmith, Steve tossed the man over his shoulder onto the ground. He made quick work of knocking the two remaining men out beside the ringleader with the gun. The crow flew after the man that hadn't been able to get his foot un-looped from the saddle.

            Bucky swooped back down to the ground, dropping the snake. The moment it was on the ground, the snake curled up into a tight circle and hissed at him, showing off long, poisonous fangs. It kept looking back and forth between him and Bucky.

            Through their bond, Steve told his eagle to back off. He didn't want to put Buck in any danger.

            What caught Steve's interest was how _green_ this snake's eyes were.

            Steve knelt down, watching as the snake's head raised up, ready to strike him. It was worth a shot. "Rico?"

            The snake's jaws closed, and he looked surprised. His head tilted to the left, and his tongue flickered out several times before the snake slithered closer. Steve reached out a cautious hand and stroked two fingers across the snake's blazing copper head.

            "...What happened to you, Rico? Where's Tony?" Steve murmured, smiling a little when Bucky landed on his shoulder and nuzzled his head against Steve's cheek. "Looks like we're goin' home, Buck. I know you never met Tony, but he's in danger, and Ricorda was kidnapped. Tony was my best friend growing up; I'm not going to betray our friendship now."

            The eagle hopped down onto the ground, in front of the snake. Rico seemed stressed, and looked like he was considering striking at Bucky, but then... the snake slithered up onto the large bird, curling once loosely around his neck before settling on his back and shoulders. Before Steve was able to ask what was going on, Bucky flapped his powerful wings a few times and took off into the air.

            Steve watched with wide eyes as his soul-bond carried the snake off into the sky, where _anything_ could happen. He couldn't protect Bucky if his eagle was flying with a _snake_ on his back!

            Closing his eyes, Steve connected with his soul-bond, surprised to find how _calm_ and _free_ Bucky felt. The pressure on his back was comfortable, and he wasn't worried at all. Steve called out to him, telling Bucky to watch him so that they could head over to Stark Kingdom. His reply was the screech of his bald eagle, still able to be heard on the ground. A smile crossed his face.

 

            "I'm going to find Rico," Tony growled, trying to push past Rhodey and the other guards.

            "They're doing their best, Tony, they'll find him," Pepper said, trying to hold Tony back. The tears were done streaming down his face. He just wanted his soul-partner back. "You can't leave—what if those people catch you again?!"

            "Rico's scared and alone, Pep, I can _feel_ it," Tony cried, pulling away from his cousin. Strong arms wrapped around him, and a familiar raven landed on his shoulder. Tony tried to fight out of the man's grip, but he ended up collapsing against the man's chest and breaking down again.

            He could feel Rico's fear as if it were his own. Tony felt sick when Rico was put in a bag and shaken up. He felt pain and heat beneath his skin when Rico felt danger. Ricorda was his everything right now, the other half of his soul.

            "Tony, you need to stop this," Obie growled, and for once, Tony actually flinched at hearing his voice. Rico's fear and pain had always been, in the background, directed at Obie, so at the moment Tony didn't want consolation. Not from Obie. He didn't want the man's protection, he didn't want the man's comfort. Killian brought up a bad feeling for him, just like he always had for Rico.

            "You must not postpone becoming King," Obie whispered. "Ricorda would've wanted you to continue on your journey. Once you are King, and we are wed, I shall go out _personally_ to retrieve Ricorda myself. I'll leave no stone unturned, I promise, I just need to know that we are one, so I'll be able to feel Rico and _find him_."

            Tony knew that he was right. When two people were wed by one of the Elders, there would be a bond between them that would connect their spirits. Tony would be able to feel Killian as if the raven was his own soul, and vice versa with Obie and Rico. Tony _knew_ that if he wed Obie, then the older man would be able to search for Rico.

            But Rico didn't like Obie. Did Tony really want to tie Rico to someone who he despised?

            "I'll go look for Rico," Rhodey offered, catching onto Tony's weariness. "Prince and I won't return until we find him, Tony, I promise."

            "No," Tony choked out, even though it hurt to say that. Something was freaking Rico out, and the snake seemed to think he was going to die. "No, don't exile yourself," Tony gasped, biting his lip. When he closed his eyes, he could sense Rico, and when he opened them, he could see the gun that was pointed at Rico's head.

            His snake was saying goodbye to him. It was calling out, apologizing, and saying goodbye. Rico's echoed _I'm sorry_ seemed to fill his ears, and Rhodey caught him before he collapsed to the ground.

            "They're gonna kill him," Tony whispered, and it wasn't difficult now for Rhodey and Obie to drag him back into the castle with Pepper following right behind them.

            He could hear the gunshot, like it had been fired in the same room as him, and suddenly Tony couldn't walk anymore, he could only fall to the ground and cry out, expecting pain. Pepper threw everyone else out of the room before she held Tony close. Lady whimpered and licked at Tony's hand, and Tony pressed his face against Pepper.

            "What happened?" Her voice was quiet and calming.

            Tony took a few deep breaths before he answered, "I heard a gunshot."

            "Oh Tony... I'm so sorry," she whispered, but Tony shook his head.

            "Rico's not dead," Tony cried, and saying the words aloud made hope well up inside him. "The gun didn't hit him, he's not hurt. He's just confused, and I'm confused, and he's... he was in the air, but he's on the ground again, but then he shut me out, Pep, he _shut me out_. He thinks he's going to die."

            "It'll be okay," Pepper whispered, hugging him close again. Tony continued to listen to her sweet nothings until he felt Rico open up to him again. He could feel the wind brushing against him, the sun warming his scales, and the soft feathers that surrounded him.

            "He's _flying_..."

 

            "Stay close," Steve murmured, running his fingers through Bucky's feathers. The eagle made a quiet noise and pressed against his head and neck. The long northern copperhead was wrapped around his shoulder, and had slithered slightly down his shirt, where it was warmer.

            The sky had turned dark, and the air had turned cold. Luckily Steve had his jacket with him—Ma made him promise never to leave without it—so he was able to stay warm. Ma had even sewn a 'second hood' on it for his eagle, which Bucky really liked since it kept him warm and dry if it rained. The snake was cold, and Steve knew that Rico needed warmth to be able to survive, but there wasn't much that he could do right now other than keep the snake in his jacket, pressed against his chest.

            The horse had tried to kick him when he attempted to mount it, so Steve had to walk back to the kingdom. It was pretty far, but he'd spent all day walking, so he was close. Luckily, his childhood sicknesses seemed to fade in time, so he was much stronger than before, and he was still ready to talk farther to bring Rico home. He could only imagine how Tony must feel, being separated from his soul-bond.

            Rico slithered up, pressing his reptilian nose against Steve's neck before the snake flopped back down. He was too large to fit into any of Steve's pockets—he might've when he was tiny, but not anymore. Now Steve just had to get him back to the kingdom as soon as possible.

            That day, when the King forced him and Ma to leave, was one of the worst days of his life. When his mother passed, _that_ was the worst day. But losing his best friend and the only home he'd ever known at the time, _that_ was crushing, too.

            Perhaps Tony would be happy to see him? He was worried that the King might've made Tony hate him, so there was a chance he'd be killed if he went back to the Stark Kingdom. He'd heard news of the past King's death, so there was a good chance that he wouldn't be killed, but he wasn't sure. Tony might hate him for abandoning him, even though he never had a chance to.

            _Fly ahead?_ Steve blinked a few times, glancing over at his eagle. Bucky's sharp eyes were looking right back at him. Steve smiled and nodded, and the eagle took off. When Steve opened his eyes again, he could see out of Bucky's eyes. They were close, real close, but there was something wrong. Bucky couldn't see any guards at the front gate, and... the lights in the castle were all lit. There was something going on, something big.

            "We're almost home," Steve whispered to Ricorda, whose only response was the flickering of his tongue.

 

            "Tony." Obadiah's voice was sharp and harsh compared to Pepper's sweet voice. "Tony, it's time. I'm done waiting for you to just get over it, so get up." Tony glanced over at him. He was currently lying on his bed, cuddling with Pepper's soul-bond Lady. The Border collie whimpered. "Now, Tony."

            "The guards won't let me out of the castle, I've been trying for hours now!" Tony muttered, stroking Lady's silky fur. Rico was okay, he wasn't hurt, but he couldn't figure out where his snake was. The flying feeling was gone, and all that remained was a cold sensation that seemed to melt into his skin.

            "I told them not to," Obadiah said. There was a frown on his face, and he didn't have that cheerful look that he usually wore around Tony. "It's time to be married, Tony. I've waited this long, I _refuse_ to wait any longer."

            "What are you talking about, Obie? I'm not ready to get married," Tony said. "This isn't the time to talk about that! I need to find Rico, but I can't do that while I'm being held prisoner in my own castle."

            "Guards," Obadiah said, and Tony frowned when a few men walked into the room. Why were they listening to Obie? They never did, they were supposed to listen to _him_. What was going on here?

            "What's the meaning of this?" Tony growled when the guards grabbed him by the arms and pulled him to his feet. Lady growled at them, but two of them had wolves that kept Lady from following after them. The men dragged Tony from the room.

            "I _will_ be King, Anthony," Obadiah growled, stroking Killain's feathers. The raven made a croaking noise, ruffling his feathers. "Whether or not you're willing to let me. I have an Elder, ready to wed us, in the ballroom _at this moment_."

            "Release me," Tony shouted, but the guards ignored him. Kicking them, punching at them, it didn't work. They were too strong, and he'd never learned how to fight back. He and Steve were going to learn how to fight together, but they never got to do that, because Steve had to leave. Doing things that Steve had promised they'd do together just seemed wrong, so there was a lot that he never did. Learning to fight, feeling flight—Jarvis and Margret could've helped with that, but he didn't want them to, because he was going to do that with _Steve_ , and his friend wasn't here anymore. Tony was convinced that Steve must've been dead by now—he got sick so often that Tony wouldn't be surprised if Steve ended up dead.

            "I _will_ be King, Anthony," Obadiah growled, roughly pushing him forward. "Whether you like it or not. Your father told me that I'm going to be wed to you, and he said that you would rule by my side. But _I_ am the older, stronger and better of the two of us, Tony, you _know_ so."

            "What are you talking about?" The man with the dark bird. He'd heard Elder Fury say it himself, all those years ago.

            "I know that you've heard the prophecy, Tony. I'm _prophesized_ to be King—Howard told me so!" Okay, so this was seriously wrong. Obie never acted like this. Sure, he was controlling, and _sure_ , he'd been really excited about being able to become King. Or, uh, co-King.

            "Where's Rhodey? Where's Pepper?" Tony asked desperately, looking around for his friends. He knew Jarvis and Margret were safe, off visiting family in another kingdom, but his two friends were here in this castle _somewhere_.

            "I've already... taken care of them," Obadiah said, grinning. "You'll get to see them again. Once we're married, you'll be joining them in the dungeon."

            "What's wrong with you? I thought we were... I thought you cared about me!" But as he said the words, he realized that he was wrong. Obadiah had never made any gestures of caring or, dare he say, _love_. Obadiah had never treated him special, or as if he meant something to him.

            Obadiah didn't answer, instead he just got the guards to drag Tony to the ballroom.

            "Let me _go!_ " Tony shouted, kicking out, hoping that maybe some of the guards might respond and help him. " _Let me go!_ "

 

            "What's wrong, Rico?" Steve asked when the snake tightened around his neck a little. Though he couldn't feel what the snake was feeling, he could sense how tense he was, and how scared he was about something. Tony was obviously in danger, which meant that if he didn't find Tony soon, there was a good chance that he'd never reunite with his childhood friend.  Bucky screeched and took off into the air, powerful wings taking him up into the sky. Steve knew that he wanted to figure out where the guards were, and why they weren't at the front gate.

            There was definitely something going on at the castle. Steve hurried through the town that surrounded the palace. For whatever reason, everyone had locked their doors and shut off their lights, leaving the castle as the only glowing building in what looked like the whole kingdom. Steve connected to his soul-bond, following Bucky's gaze as he looked around the palace.

            The large bald eagle landed in one of the windows, so Steve got a chance to see what was going on. This room wasn't the main room. He was about to tell Bucky to try to get a view of the main room, or to find Tony, but then he noticed something interesting.

            There were two people in this room, with _no guards around_. There were also two dogs, locked up with them. Their soul-bonds. One of the dogs, a large black and brown dog, must've scented the eagle, because he started barking, and the people caught sight of the eagle.

            "Who are you?" the man asked, staring directly at Bucky.

            _Can you get the keys?_ Steve asked his bird, and the eagle swooped down into the room, plucking the keys off of the wall.

            "Are you a friend?" the woman asked. Bucky flew over, grabbing the bars with one of his taloned feet before holding the other out to the people, dropping the keys into their open hands.

            "Are you looking for Tony?" the man asked. He had intense eyes, and Steve thought that he looked friendly enough.

            _Please tell him yes_ , Steve said, and Bucky nodded. He glided back over to the window, ruffling his feathers before the bird said something to the other soul-bonds.

            "He's in the ballroom," the man said. "Obadiah Stane took him there because Stane wants to wed Tony and become King, because the late King promised him that he would. But that man kidnapped Tony, took Ricorda and locked us up here so that we couldn't stop him. There are still loyal guards, but no one knows who's loyal, and those who are, are afraid to step forward. We'll be there soon. Tony's in danger."

            Bucky nodded again before he took off into the sky and circled around the palace towards the ballroom. Steve hurried after him, trying to find where Tony was. He was in _danger_.

            When Bucky swooped up to one of the ballroom windows, Steve had a clear view of the scene unfolding inside. All of the guards seemed to be inside this room, surrounding the place, with one of the Elders at the front, and four men in the middle of the room. One of them Steve recognized must've been Stane, the man who tried to have Rico killed. He thought that Tony would _marry_ him after he tried to have his soul-bond killed?

            Beside him was a man who took Steve's breath away. He was handsome, Steve didn't know why he was so surprised. Of course Tony would be handsome. It wasn't like Steve would be able to think that he was anything _but_ handsome. He'd had a crush on his childhood friend for years, but now that he actually saw the other man... Steve was reminded of the feelings that he'd been trying to bury for so long.

            Tony was being held in place by two big, strong guards, one with a ferret on his shoulder, the other with a hawk circling overhead.

            "Let the ceremony begin!" Stane called out, and the Elder stepped forward. The raven on Stane's shoulder didn't seem to notice Bucky, not yet, so Steve decided that now was the best time to make his move.

            Sneaking into the castle was easy, with all the guards in the ballroom. What was difficult was finding a way inside the ballroom, since it was _filled_ with guards.

 

            "I refuse to say 'I do'," Tony muttered, glaring daggers at Obadiah. "I'm not going to hand my kingdom over to you."

            "Well it's a good thing that this Elder doesn't require you to say a single word," Obadiah replied.

            Tony had noticed that in the past several hours, Rico kept feeling closer and closer. He kept trying to reach out to his snake, but he knew that he needed to keep his mind in what was going on here and now. He had to get away from these guards, then go free Rhodey and Pepper from the dungeon, then take back control of his kingdom. He didn't know why so many of his guards were against him. He suspected that more actually did want to stand by him, but they didn't know who they could trust.

            _Tony_ didn't know who he could trust.

            "Rico would never let you do this," Tony growled. "That's why you got rid of him, right? Because he'd strike you, and then you'd die from his poison. That's why you got rid of him!"

            "Did it work?" Obadiah asked smugly. "Is your snake gone?"

            Tony glared at him, not wanting to say that his plan failed. If Obadiah knew that Rico was still alive, he'd hunt after him. After the show that he put on, people would definitely believe that Rico was dead.

            "That's what I thought," Obadiah replied. "Now, Elder, if you would."

            The Elder began the ceremony, and Tony ignored most of it. He reached out for the other half of his soul, trying to figure out where Ricorda might be. When he opened his eyes, still looking at the ground so that no one would know he wasn't seeing from his own eyes anymore, Tony watched the world change around him.

            He could see into the ballroom, which was surprising enough because there was no way that Rico could've gotten back to the castle on his own, especially at this time of night. And after the danger he'd been in? Tony wouldn't have been surprised if Rico had stayed hidden under a rock for a few days.

            _Rico, who are you with? How'd you get here?_ Tony tried to get answers, but Rico didn't seem to be in a very cooperating mood.

            "There he is," someone whispered. Tony frowned, because he _knew_ that he knew the voice, he just couldn't place it at the moment. He got Rico to tilt his head and glance at the man.

            The man was blond, and _wow_ he had a handsome face. He looked so familiar... The man's eyes widened upon seeing Rico's eyes. "Rico, you... connected. Tony? Tony, if you can hear me, I'm here to rescue you. I'll get you out of this place soon, I promise, just hang on a little longer."

            _Oh Spirits... Steve!_ He wished that he could speak, but he just _couldn't_. Not through Rico's mouth, it was impossible, but...

            Tony disconnected from his soul-bond and glanced slightly in the direction, not surprised to not see anything.

            "Anthony!" Obadiah snapped, getting the guards to shake Tony some. "Are you even listening?"

            "To your blabbering? No, because you're not going to be the King, _I am_ , and I don't care what you say," Tony replied. How in the world was Steve going to get him out of _this_ mess? And _when_ did Steve get so... so _attractive?_ When did Steve come home? Why didn't he _know_ that Steve was home?!

            "Quiet, you insolent brat. You've always had everything handed to you. You've never had to work for _anything._ You don't know the pain of dragging yourself out of the dirt," Obadiah growled, and suddenly he was grabbing Tony by the throat and pulling him closer. "How does it feel to have it taken _away_ from you? I've had to work for this—I _deserve_ this! You don't! You've never had to work for _anything_ in your _life!_ "

            Yeah, because he didn't spend his entire life training him to become King. He _so_ didn't lose his childhood to lonely studies, knowing that if he didn't, he'd never be prepared to keep the kingdom afloat. You can't just barge in and expect to be able to handle being King. It was stressful, the well-being of every citizen had to be taken into account, and you had to make all the tough calls.

            But Tony couldn't say any of that. He couldn't mention the childhood that he lost to endless books, the love that he never got growing up, the loss of both of his parents, the fact that everyone he loved seemed to leave him eventually. He couldn't mention how he thought that Pepper and Rhodey would eventually leave when they were married and realized that they didn't need him in their lives anymore.

 

            "We can do this," Steve whispered, keeping Rico on his shoulders when the snake tried to slither over to Tony. It wouldn't be safe, not yet. Steve looked around for Bucky, smiling when his eagle landed beside him.

            "Thanks bud," Steve murmured, picking up the gun that Bucky had brought him. There was no way that he was actually going to shoot anyone, but he did have his eye on that chandelier up above. It could cause a great distraction, then he could swoop in and get Tony out of there.

            As Steve aimed, Bucky flew off and landed in front of the man and woman who had been freed from the dungeon, stopping them. Steve thanked his soul-bond before he concentrated again on aiming the gun. He hated using guns, but to create the distraction... He only had one shot.

            The gunshot echoed in the large ballroom, and Steve could see that everyone was suddenly tense. Someone shouted a warning right before the chandelier fell through the air. Stane went one way, the guards jumped back, and Tony got pushed to the ground away from the falling mass of metal and crystal.

            That was the moment that Steve swooped in, plucking Tony up off the ground. The moment he ran in, so did the two people from the dungeon. The man called for the guards, and he must've been one of them because a lot of the guards listened to him. Suddenly it was easy to tell who was on their side, and who was with Stane.

            "You're crushing me," Tony gasped, swatting at his chest.

            "Sorry," Steve said as he rushed Tony out of the ballroom, loosening his grip on the other man. Steve placed the future King onto the ground, noticing that Rico had slithered back over to Tony.

            "You saved him," Tony whispered, hugging his soul-bond close. "Thank you, thank you _so much_."

            "Not a problem," Steve said, flinching when something hurt Bucky. Steve winced and looked back over to the ballroom. There was a raven that was tangled up with his eagle. They were pecking and scratching at each other.

            "Stay safe," Steve said before rushing back into the fray, calling for his eagle. Bucky let go of the raven, diving back down towards Steve. He managed to catch his soul-bond before he crashed. But then the raven went for Tony, and before Steve was able to stop it, the big brute snatched Rico up into the air. Bucky darted out of Steve's grasp, soaring up into the air after the bird.

            "Obadiah, just _stop_ ," Tony shouted, wincing and grabbing at his chest when the raven's talons tightened around Rico.

            "Why? So you can be King? I was _destined_ to be King, Anthony!" Stane said.

            Steve moved to defend himself when someone came crashing into him, surprised to find that it was only Tony, who was knocking him out of the way of one of the bad guards. "Thanks," he murmured before moving to defend his childhood friend, knocking the guard out with only a few quick hits. Steve looked back up to the battle in the sky, watching as the raven dropped Rico.

            Steve's eyes widened, and before he could call out to his soul-bond, Bucky dove through the air and snatched the snake before he could hit the ground. He breathed a sigh of relief when Bucky carried Rico up and out of the ballroom. He knew that his soul-bond would protect the snake.

            All of the fighting seemed to stop when Stane pulled out a gun. There were more guards loyal to Tony than there were to Stane, so they had the room taken back, but with the gun... Steve cursed himself for dropping the other gun that he'd used to break the chandelier when he went to rescue Tony. It would've come in handy right about now.

            "Obadiah, please, I don't know what happened to you," Tony tried reasoning with him. "This isn't you. I know you, and you wouldn't hurt me."

            "You don't know me," Stane growled. "You don't know anything about me. Your father saw me and said _do you want to be the next King?_ He _gave_ me to you, because he thought that I'd be the best man for the job! He never thought that you'd be able to be King, Tony, he _gave up_ on you!"

            "He thought you were the man I was supposed to marry because of your _soul-bond_ , not because you're qualified to run a kingdom," Tony shot back. "He was told that a man with a dark bird would wed me, and you've got a _raven_. Why would he just choose the first guy that shows up in the kingdom? How could he be so stupid?!"

            "He... what?" Stane asked.

            Steve couldn't keep his eyes off of Tony. His father was told back when Tony was young that he'd marry a man with a dark bird one day? Could that be why he and Ma were sent away, because the King somehow knew that he'd have a bald eagle before he even knew what kind of bird he had?

            "He was told that I can't trust people who try to get close to me, and I have to be cautious of those who try to take my throne," Tony growled, eyes narrowed and glaring at Stane. "But the Elder never said who I have to be cautious around, but I know _now_. You're the one that I have to get rid of, Obadiah. My first act as King will be to _banish_ you!"

            "Banish _me?_ " Stane asked. "You think you can banish _me?_ I'm in charge of this kingdom! I _am_ the King!"

            The gun was aimed at Tony, but before he was able to fire, Steve watched as Stane flinched and glared to the side. Bucky and Rico were off to his left, the eagle holding tightly to the snake that had obviously just struck Stane in the leg. Anger flashed in the man's eyes, and Steve knew that he was going to shoot at the soul-bonds. His body was moving before his mind could comprehend what was going on.

            The gunshot rang out loud in the silence of a still room. All eyes were on them by now.

            Steve glanced down, seeing a scarlet flower blooming on his shirt, seeping through. He opened his mouth to say something, but he couldn't find the words. Everything just felt so...

            ...cold.

 

            "Steve," Tony gasped, rushing over to his side. When the gun was fired, that seemed to wake the guards up. They came running forward and knocked Obadiah off of his feet, taking the gun from him and dragging him out of the room. He kept shouting about how he was the King, and they shouldn't be doing that to him.

            Tony grabbed Steve and helped him to his knees before he was able to fall down. "Oh Spirits, you're going to be okay Steve, you _are_. I can promise you that." He looked around at the people frozen in place. "Someone get a doctor!"

            Pepper and Lady went running off to find someone while Rhodey and Prince rushed over to his side.

            "Why'd you do that?" Tony demanded, feeling the smooth scales of Rico on his neck and shoulder and then the taloned feet and soft feathers of Steve's eagle, too.

            "Couldn't let him... shoot Bucky and Rico," Steve murmured, and Rhodey helped him get Steve down onto the ground safely.

            "You're a good man," Rhodey said. "It was you that got us out of that dungeon, wasn't it? I recognize your eagle."

            Steve nodded and smiled. "You're Tony's friends, and he's gonna need his friends by his side," he explained, his voice sounding weak.

            "Just hold on, Steve, just hold on a little longer," Tony said, glancing over to see Pepper and a doctor come running into the room. Steve reached out, and the eagle, he called it Bucky, hopped onto his arm then shoulder. The bird nuzzled against his head and made quiet noises. Steve was still smiling, and it hurt Tony to see how much blood there was on him.

            "Clear away," the doctor said, moving Rhodey away so that he could see what he was working with. "I need to get him back to my room, the supplies I need are there. I'll need to get the bullet out of him as soon as possible... someone keep the bird off of him, I need room to work!"

            Tony quickly picked up the eagle, not wanting the doctor's monkey to grab him first. Bucky screeched and got out of Tony's arms, circling overhead before his flight faltered and had to land on Tony's shoulder. Two of the guards quickly offered to help and carried Steve over to the doctor's room. Tony followed right by his side after asking Rhodey to take care of the traitorous guards. He stroked the eagle's feathers, trying to calm the nervous, stressed bird, but it didn't seem to be working all too well.

            "Your father was wrong," Steve murmured when Tony held onto his hand. "It wasn't me... who was going to hurt you."

            "I know that," Tony murmured, tears in his eyes. Steve was real pale, and it looked bad. The doctor was trying to clean his wound and remove the bullet, but Tony wasn't really paying attention to him.

            "Don't be mad... that I left," Steve whispered. "...didn't mean to... or want to. I always meant... to come back. Didn't think you'd want to see me..."

            "How could you think that? You were my best friend, Steve, of course I'd want to see you again," Tony said quickly. "I was so angry with my father for making you leave, and I never found out where you went or how I could find you." Tony bit his lip when Steve's eyes drooped a little. He looked so tired, but... "I could never be mad at you."

            "Good," Steve mumbled. "Watch Bucky for me, would you? He's never been good with being alone."

            "I'll keep him company," Tony promised, clutching Steve's hand as the man's eyes closed. He'd know if anything happened to Steve, because if anything happened to Bucky... Tony stroked the eagle's feathers again, noticing that his snake had slithered up onto the eagle's back. One of the guards brought him a chair, and Tony watched the doctor sew Steve's wound closed. Tony watched each and every stitch, petting Bucky's feathers.

            At some point in time, the eagle moved down to his lap, and Tony kept his free hand on Bucky's back while his other hand clutched Steve's hand.

            "He'll live," the doctor said as he wrapped up Steve's wound. "The bullet came close to his heart, but there was no major damage. He lost a lot of blood, and will probably be asleep for a while, and he'll need many days, if not weeks, to regain his strength. I don't recognize this man—is he a noble from another kingdom?"

            "He's... a special guest," Tony said. "He's going to be staying in the palace... in that spare room next to mine, okay? He's a very important man."

            There was a knock at the door, and when Tony looked over, he saw that Rhodey was standing there.

            "They need their King to speak, Tony," Rhodey said quietly. "He's gonna make it?"

            "He'll live," the doctor confirmed. "Your Highness, the kingdom needs you."

            Tony took a deep breath, glancing over at Steve. The kingdom _did_ need him, and he had to be there for them. Tony carefully picked Bucky up and placed the eagle down beside Steve. _Please stay with them,_ Tony asked Rico, who complied and stayed buried and twisted in Bucky's feathers. Tony turned away and followed Rhodey to where his people were waiting to hear from him.

 

            There was a great pain in his chest when Steve opened his eyes. His first instinct was to thank the Spirits that he was still alive, which meant that Bucky was fine too... where was his eagle? There was a pressure on his right hand, and he couldn't feel any feathers on him whatsoever. Steve reached out for Bucky, quickly locating him. His soul-bond connected with him, and Steve could see from Bucky's eyes again.

            He could see himself lying there, and there was someone's hand holding onto his. Steve smiled and blinked a few times, regaining his own sight before turning to face Tony.

            "Hey sleepyhead," Tony murmured. He looked like he was exhausted, but there was a genuinely happy smile on his face.

            "Do I even want to know how long I've been out?" Steve asked, not even bothering to try and sit up.

            "Probably not. But I'll tell you anyway—you broke into the castle just after sundown, and the sun just came up... about six hours ago," Tony informed him. Steve watched as Tony let go of his hand and picked Bucky up, placing the big eagle down beside him. Steve smiled and reached over to his bird, stroking his head. "So how are you feeling? You were bleeding a _lot_ , but the doctor says that you're going to be fine, so..."

            "I'm feeling... okay," Steve replied. _Better now that you're here,_ was what he couldn't say. "It would be better if there wasn't a big hole in my chest... how long have you been here? Don't tell me you've been here the whole time."

            "I haven't," Tony said. "Had to go talk with the kingdom for a little, to let them know that I'm not dead, I'm still the King, and the traitors have been taken care of. But then I was right back here, keeping Bucky and Rico company. And, well, you, but you were unconscious, so you wouldn't have really noticed..."

            "Oh Tony," Steve laughed, shaking his head. "You really stayed here?"

            "Just like when we were kids," Tony said with a grin. "And you were sick with the flu. Remember that?"

            "I do," Steve murmured, chuckling to himself. Spirits, he was so sickly back then. "I wish you could've seen when I started to get stronger."

            Tony suddenly looked sad, nervous and worried. "I didn't want him to—"

            "I know you didn't, I don't blame you," Steve said quickly. "I just... He sent me away because he didn't want me to hurt you, or because he didn't want me to marry you?"

            "...What?" Tony asked. "Why would we get married?"

            "Because... the man... with the dark bird," Steve said slowly, frowning. He heard Tony talk about it before. "It could've been anyone. Right? I mean... Bucky's a big, dark bird. And maybe your father knew that I had an eagle egg..."

            "No, he was told to be careful of those close to me, and you were the closest person to me at the time," Tony said quickly. He opened his mouth to say more, but then stopped.

            "Oh. Yeah, that makes sense," Steve said, shrugging. His eyes went back to his eagle, noticing the snake that was curled up in his feathers. Rico looked so happy to just be there, snuggled up with his eagle. Part of Steve longed to be able to do that with Tony, just snuggle up with him and forget about the world.

            "What?" Tony asked. "You... would you even _think_ about marrying me?"

            Steve smirked. "Who wouldn't?"

            The emotion seemed to _drain_ from Tony's face, so Steve realized that he should probably clarify.

            "You're loyal, and brave, and smart, and a ton of fun to be around. Your friends seem to think the world of you, and _I_ think the world of you too," Steve said, squeezing Tony's hand. "I'd still feel this way if you were some farm boy, Tony. You're responsible, you're going to make a _wonderful_ King, and I'd be humbled to be able to be one of your subjects again."

            Tony laughed and looked away, but Steve noticed the tear in his eye. "You know, I've got you a room in the palace right now, so you could stay as long as you want..."

            Steve smiled. "Sounds like a plan. Once I'm better, I could stick around some... maybe be your bodyguard for a while? Seems like you might need one until you figure out which guards are loyal and which ones aren't..."

            "I'd love to get to know you better," Tony said quietly, and Steve was glad that he hadn't let go of his hand yet. It was nice just to be able to talk quietly and not worry about anything else. "I mean, you were my best friend when I was young, and I'd really like to know... more about you _now_. What's happened with you in the past... eight years?"

            "More than I can say right now," Steve murmured. Rico's scales felt soft as the snake slithered up his arm and then settled on his chest, the opposite side of where the bullet wound was. Bucky stayed on his arm, probably too sore to move. Steve felt bad for hurting his soul-bond, but if he _hadn't_ , then... Bucky or Rico wouldn't still be here. Steve could feel it through their bond that Bucky wanted him to stop apologizing and stop feeling guilty. He could hear it, almost like Bucky had spoken it to him.

            "Well, there will be plenty of time to tell me all about it, because you're going to be bedridden for the next week, and I'm going to be caring for you whenever I can," Tony said. "It's going to be a challenge, 'cause I need to run a kingdom now, but I'm going to make sure you're never alone unless you want to be. Pepper will definitely stay here with you if I ask her to."

            "She's the woman with the dog, right?" Steve asked. The woman with the dog from the dungeon, that _had_ to be her. Right?

            "Yeah. She's my cousin," Tony said. "Pepper and Rhodey are going to have the first royal wedding... one of the many reasons why I'm glad that you stopped Obadiah from that horrible marriage ceremony thing from happening."

            "He just wanted to take your throne," Steve mumbled. "...not a good person..."

            "I know. I was stupid to keep him around, but my father seemed to like him, and he's always treated me... well, he's never really been mean before. Controlling, yes, but this is the first time he's actually threatened to hurt me," Tony said with a sad smile. "I thought I could trust him... but I guess that's why Elder Fury warned me about who I can and can't trust." Tony shrugged. "He never was talking about you when he said that. I've always known that, Steve—you... wouldn't hurt me." Tony suddenly looked very serious, and very... sad. "Obadiah was aiming at Rico."

            "I know," Steve said, taking a deep breath. "I couldn't let him kill Rico, Tony. He's a part of you, a part of your soul. I... I'd like to believe that you would've done the same thing for Bucky."

            "I would've, had our roles been switched," Tony murmured, and there were tears in his eyes again, but he was smiling, so Steve felt better.

            "I'm sorry I wasn't there for you," Steve said, wanting to make sure that Tony knew that.

            "It's not your fault... My father was wrong, it wasn't you that would put me in danger," Tony said, and he sounded so confident of himself. "I want you to stay here, in the kingdom... I can send the guards to go get whatever you want—your mother—"

            "Ma passed away a few years ago," Steve said.

            "I'm sorry," Tony said sincerely. "She was a good woman. She never treated me differently because of who I was."

            "Your mother never treated me differently either," Steve mused. "They would've gotten along. If things were different, they could've been friends."

            "If things were different..." Tony whispered, and the look on his face said it all. Steve sighed and tugged on his sleeve.

            "Come over here for a second," Steve murmured, and Tony complied. He leaned in close, and with his free hand Steve pulled him even closer. "I don't know if you feel this way, and forgive me if I'm wrong, but..."

            Steve pulled the other man down closer and pressed their lips together. Tony seemed so startled that he didn't move at all at first, instead taking a few moments before he melted into the kiss. At first, Steve had thought that he misjudged everything, but now... sweet, blissful now. He didn't want it to end, but he was in pain, and having Tony leaning over him like this, pressed against his chest.

            "Ah," Steve mumbled, and he pushed Tony back. "Sorry. It hurts."

            "Oh," Tony said, shock on his face.

            Steve looked at him confused. "My chest. The bullet wound. It hurts."

            "Oh! That, yeah, that's gonna hurt for a while, sorry," Tony said quickly, still staring at Steve in surprise. "You just... You kissed me."

            "I did," Steve said smugly. "Do you have a problem with that?"

            A grin crossed Tony's face. "Not a single problem. In fact, if you just do that some more, and more often, that would be perfectly okay with me. But I do want to get to know you better. This changes none of that. All I know right now is that somehow you got taller than me, and I have _no idea_ how that happened. Care to explain that part to me? Because once upon a time, you were _really_ short."

            "Growth spurt... and I've been training, and growing stronger, since... since I was ten," Steve said, shrugging. He yawned. "What time did you say it was?"

            "Time for me to bring you some food," Tony said, patting Steve's right shoulder. "Rico, protect him for me."

            The snake hissed quietly, and Steve just laughed. Bucky squawked at Tony and flapped his wings, so Tony reached down and picked the large bird up. The eagle was easily able to get up onto his shoulder, where he stayed proudly perched with his chest puffed up.

            "Well that settles that," Tony laughed, glancing over at the eagle. "I guess I'll be taking Bucky with me. I'll watch after your heart if you watch after mine."

            Steve smiled and nodded. He gently stroked at Rico's scales, closing his eyes. He finally felt at peace again. He was home.

 

            "Such a beautiful wedding," Tony murmured, looking out across the party. Everyone was dancing and happy, and Tony couldn't help but smile as he looked out across his kingdom. Pepper, in her white dress, looked beautiful as she danced with Rhodey, her head resting against his chest. Tony could see the smile that lit up both of their faces from where he was standing. They looked so happy that Tony was glad to have let them get married. He was actually the one who did the ceremony, after he learned how to of course.

            "It is," Steve agreed from where he was sitting. The doctor told him that he wasn't allowed to walk for long periods of time because he didn't want to rip anything internally. Tony had dressed Steve like a king, even though Steve had protested the fancy look.

            "I was thinking more red and blue," Tony mused, taking a seat beside Steve. He wrapped an arm around Steve's shoulders. "Red for me, blue for you. It'll be great."

            "It will," Steve agreed. While they were taking things 'slowly', they were also getting married in two months. As King, Tony had to be married within three months of being crowned, so that's exactly what they were going to do. Tony didn't want to rush things, but Steve agreed to marry him as long as they could take it slowly.

            "Have you seen Bucky and Rico?" Tony asked, looking around. Those two had been disappearing a lot lately.

            "Um..." When Steve blinked, his eyes unfocused and glazed over the blue color of the connection. Tony closed his eyes and connected with his northern copperhead. The moment his eyes opened, he could see feathers around him. Tony reached out his human hand for Steve, who gently stroked his palm. The wind was blowing in his face. There was a quiet screeching noise as Bucky said something to Rico in a language that no humans could understand.

            Rico must've understood, because his grip on the eagle tightened right before Bucky nose-dived back towards the ground, swooping down to where they were sitting. Bucky came to an easy landing on Steve's shoulder.

            "Seems that Ricorda likes to fly more than I do," Tony laughed. The snake slithered down onto his chest, where he curled up, content.

            "Seems like it," Steve agreed. "And here I thought that you wanted to fly ever since we were children!"

            "Rico's been doing a _lot_ of flying lately," Tony muttered. "It seems like every time I connect with him, he's in the air with Bucky. Doesn't he realize that snakes weren't meant to fly?"

            "He knows that he can do _anything_ , with a little help," Steve said, grinning. Tony watched as Steve winced and stood up, reaching a hand out to Tony. "My King, may I have this dance?"

            Tony chuckled, getting to his feet. He took Steve's hand, not surprised to find that Rico used their connected arms to slither over to Bucky. The eagle took off again, with the blazing copper snake hidden between his feathers.

            "You may, my King," Tony murmured, while Steve just rolled his eyes.

            "I'm not a king," Steve said. "I'm just the man who's in love with one."

            Steve stepped forward, taking the lead, flinching a little as he moved. It was adorable how much he was concentrating on getting all of the steps correct as they danced, circling around and around, never once missing a step. Tony leaned in against him, close enough to be able to hear the other man's strong heart beating in his chest.

            He could still feel the wind, cool and free, against his skin like he was in the clouds.

**Author's Note:**

> These are the soulbond animals:  
>  Tony—Northern Copperhead  
>  Steve—Bald Eagle  
>  Stane—Common Raven  
>  Howard—Red Fox  
>  Sarah—Snowshoe Hare  
>  Maria—Red-legged Partridge


End file.
